Fishingboat-bobbing sea...

Precious few fishing boats here now and, although it was the setting for the film version of Under Milk Wood, Dylan Thomas never visited this old part of Fishguard. The radio drama he wrote in 1954 was based on the small Welsh seaside towns of Newquay  and Laugharne both of which he lived in.

But anyway, this is mainly to acquaint anyone who's interested that the latest production of UMW by The National Theatre is really worth watching. Ditching the anonymous narrator, this version is set in a Welsh care home where the staff and residents are starting the day with the usual banter and chitchat. A dishevelled middle aged writer with a botttle in his pocket rocks up demanding to see his father, the disorientated, perhaps demented,  Mr Jenkins senior. They haven't met for several years and the son is dismayed to see the change in his father - he appears to remember nothing of his former life as the vicar of the little town of Llareggub. He doesn't even recognise people in the photo album. Desperate to jog his father's memory the son casts around  for some way to recapture the past and, as if off the cuff, starts to paint a  picture in words...

"To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobble streets silent and the hunched, courters' and rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea."


As the staff and residents 'become' the neighbours, shopkeepers, fishermen, children and drowned sailors of the town so the Rev, Eli Jenkins  recovers his memories of the past and is drawn back into engagement with the present, including his errant son.


It's a wonderful wallow in sentiment as usual and fascinating to see a new slant put upon the play. Michael Sheen as the son gives a magnificent performance and it's a pleasure to see the fine acting of so many - literal - old stagers including Sian Phillips who is over 90!

There's a trailer here or for £10 you take out a subscription to NT at Home for a month and see the whole thing.


After taking some photos here my camera jammed and told me there was a system error - so you may see me even less that usual for a while. Hey ho.